RobertT: I also seem to recall in earlier versions of the software that during a reboot, I got information displayed on screen as the T-box ran a POST etc. None of that is displayed any more, so I usually have to wait until the TV picture comes back up to know it's working.

I don't recall ever seeing one of those with the T-Box - the old decoders used to display some info on startup but with the T-Box its always been black screen for ages, then wait for ages as it does whatever it does with its Please Wait...

RobertT: I also seem to recall in earlier versions of the software that during a reboot, I got information displayed on screen as the T-box ran a POST etc. None of that is displayed any more, so I usually have to wait until the TV picture comes back up to know it's working.

I don't recall ever seeing one of those with the T-Box - the old decoders used to display some info on startup but with the T-Box its always been black screen for ages, then wait for ages as it does whatever it does with its Please Wait...

I often don't get the 'Please Wait' This normally means that I have to power the beast off again as none of the Tbox menus etc will display.

So, yesterday I was watching live tv, a program on at 1:30pm. Few mins into the show, another show appeared from few hours ago. I was like, what? Pushed the stop button and was back live.

This morning, turned on the TV and a unscheduled program was running. Pushed stop and we're back live to the scheduled program.

Anyone else experienced this?

RobertT: I also seem to recall in earlier versions of the software that during a reboot, I got information displayed on screen as the T-box ran a POST etc. None of that is displayed any more, so I usually have to wait until the TV picture comes back up to know it's working.

Since having the T-Box (when it first launched) I never seen the POST screen. I did however on the Decoder before the T-Box.

I've been recording the Winbledon Tennis on TV ONE these last few days (midnight to 6am), and as you may know, if the tennis overruns past 6am, the broadcast is switched to TVU on channel 16.

I am unable to set a serial link to record the tennis overrun because the TBOX GUIDE lists only a single 720 minute event on TVU called "Infomercial". So at 5.55am these last few days I have been manually setting the TBOX for a one time recording, and after a couple hours I manually stop the recording if the tennis is finished.

Today something annoying occurred.

It happened at 6am, when the TBOX went into an "Updating/Please wait" cycle, and consequently, the TBOX GUIDE was changed. The TVU event titled "Infomercial" become "Informercial/Wimbledon".

This in turn caused the TBOX to cancel my recording of the tennis overrun, stating "Recording failed due to event no longer existing." !!! All I got was 5 minutes of tennis. I did not spot that the red light was off until an hour later, so I've missed out on most of the Sharapova match.

Grrr. Argh. (Gnashing of teeth), random expletives!

This is one time when being able to set a recording time using channel, hours and minutes (rather than the GUIDE) would have been useful! Telstra, is the TBOX ever going to support this option?

TelstraClear: Hi. This was covered in a post earlier this year: Manual recording has been noted as a customer-requested feature and is being scoped for a future update.

Cheers, Gary

Wow. Still being scoped? I put in a formal request for that basic "feature" within weeks of getting my T-Box. I was told it was being scoped at least a year ago. The development cycle could hardly be called "agile".

I've not seen anything to say that random-channel recordings are being fixed in the next update. Is that "feature" at least being addressed, or still being scoped?

lanceanz: Wow. Still being scoped? I put in a formal request for that basic "feature" within weeks of getting my T-Box. I was told it was being scoped at least a year ago. The development cycle could hardly be called "agile".

Well, considering how long it took to "scope" the T-Box itself, announce that it was imminent, eventually have a demo unit available at the TC shop in town, and then roll it out another 18 months later, I would say that we should not be surprised that manual record is still a twinkle in some geekster's eye.

Big question: given that Telstra seems to command no priority from Digisoft, will the takeover mean that Vodafone can do any better? Let's hope so!!

I have to say the t-box really frustrates me, I'm on my second t-box now and have all the issues described previously; lock-ups, failed recordings and volume not working are the main problems.

The first t-box died during the RWC mid game, needless to say I was not very happy. I called TCL and got no end of runarounds, and a promise that I would get some bill reduction...that never happened of course and when I rang back up they told me that I was too late to request one now!

I also got told because I was one of the loyal and enthusiastic customers that bought a unit, I had less chance of getting a replacement than if I leased one. I sorted that out thought when I mentioned the Consumers Guarantees Act.

The first t-box was pretty obviously a hard drive failure, as I could hear the head actuator knocking. So finally got a technician to come out, didnt turn up twice and I had to take time off work each time.

Congratulations TCL I actually cant be bothered reporting any more faults on my second t-box, you've broken me!...perhaps you could provide consultancy for the CIA on how to break people, just hand out t-boxes, and then subject them to fault reporting...you'll have them broken in no time!

Anyway on a positive note, the other services that I have, phone and internet are excellent and really the only things that havent stopped me leaving.

My advice is steer clear of the T-Box its rubbish! but cable internet is awesome. As others have done it may better to keep your TV separate with another provider and just use the services form TCL that are good (cable internet).

OldFart: Big question: given that Telstra seems to command no priority from Digisoft, will the takeover mean that Vodafone can do any better? Let's hope so!!

You're assuming Vodafone will still want to retain the t-box and not just strike a deal with sky for supply of mysky units.

Please, let that be the case. Would be bliss to go back to MySky

Why can't you go back? We have had our MySky for about 3 weeks now and LOVE it. We had some initial problems but a simple reset fixed that and it has been plain sailing ever since. I wish we hadn't put up with our T-Box as long as we did.

langers1972: I signed up for a 24 month plan in February (fully knowing the TBox was dodgy) so I've made my bed. Not too bothered as, whilst comparatively crap, the TBox is liveable with in it's current state.

It might be worth trying to get out of the contract. We were able to but then again we got the T-Box when it first came out and ours completely died.